


Taking a Chance

by Laylah



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: Community: fic_promptly, First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-21
Updated: 2010-11-21
Packaged: 2017-10-13 07:56:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/134946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once he's had the thought in the first place, it's not like he can forget it, either. So suddenly he's noticing things like the creak of leather when Snow flexes his gloved hands, or the way the sun catches the stubble along Snow's jaw. Suddenly that stupid reckless grin of Snow's is <em>attractive</em> instead of just obnoxious.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking a Chance

**Author's Note:**

> for fic_promptly at DW; the day's theme was "first kisses," and the prompt was for Snow/Hope, in the shadows.

The second time Hope sees Snow with his shirt off is right after they get to Gran Pulse, when they've found themselves a safe place to rest -- well, as safe as Pulse gets -- and realized how totally filthy they are after fighting their way through most of Cocoon without a break. There's a stream near their camp site, and they go down there to try to wash up a little in the clear, cold water. Snow drops his coat on the rocks by the bank and tugs his shirt off like it's no big deal, kneeling by the edge of the stream and cupping water in his hands to splash his bare skin. Hope has to look away.

The first time, Hope had figured that the reason he felt so weird seeing Snow shirtless was...guilt, or something. It was complicated, wasn't it? He'd been trying to kill Snow, and then Snow risked his life -- got really badly hurt -- trying to keep Hope safe. That was a messy situation, so Hope just put the fluttery, unsettled feeling in his stomach aside and tried not to think about it. Now, though....

It's definitely not guilt that's making him feel so off-balance and breathless now. He steals another glance sideways, sees the way the muscles in Snow's shoulders slide under the skin as he moves, the way drops of water run down over those contours. Hope's face feels hot, and he splashes water on it hastily to try to make the blush go away.

Once he's had the thought in the first place, it's not like he can forget it, either. So suddenly he's noticing things like the creak of leather when Snow flexes his gloved hands, or the way the sun catches the stubble along Snow's jaw. Suddenly that stupid reckless grin of Snow's is _attractive_ instead of just obnoxious. It's still obnoxious too, which makes the confusion worse -- it doesn't seem right to want to _kiss_ somebody when they're getting on your nerves. And he does want to kiss Snow. Really, really badly.

If life was still normal -- well, if life was still normal he probably wouldn't even know who Snow was. It's almost silly to think about things like that now. Life isn't normal, and none of them can be sure that they'll live through all this. Things that would have been reasons to hesitate before seem unimportant when they're outcast, rebel l'Cie.

Hope still has to tell himself that a couple of times before he can make himself go find Snow, that evening, after they've had dinner and the sun's gone down. When they first got to Gran Pulse, he thought it would be really dark after sundown, since there aren't any streetlights or anything. But it turns out that even stars give off enough light to see by, if they're all you have to go on.

He finds Snow perched on top of one of the big rusted-out machines that they've been using as the boundary of their camp site. Keeping watch, it looks like. Hope takes a few quick steps and hops up there to join him -- just a few weeks ago, that would have seemed impossible, and now it's easy. Maybe other things could be like that, too. "Snow," he says.

"Hope," Snow says. "Hey, what's up?" Totally relaxed, totally happy. He almost always sounds happy to see people, unless they give him a really good reason not to.

"I need to talk to you about something," Hope says. He feels really exposed up here, really visible -- it's a good spot for keeping watch but that also means it's an easy spot for people to see them. "Come down here for a minute."

Snow frowns for a second -- not like he's pissed, just like he's sort of worried. "Sure," he says. "Something bugging you?"

Hope beckons for Snow to come with him and jumps down on the far side of the barricade, where the shadows are deep and nobody will be able to see them at all. When Snow lands beside him, Hope takes a quick step closer. "This is going to seem really weird, and probably it's coming out of nowhere," he says, "but I thought, maybe I won't have another chance, maybe we don't have much time."

"Hey," Snow says, hand on his shoulder, "don't think about it like that, right? We're going to figure this out. You gotta have --" And that's as far as he gets before Hope grabs hold of the front of his coat and leans up, stretches up on tiptoe, to kiss him.

It's really awkward and barely lasts a second because Hope's balance is terrible, and Snow's stubble scrapes against his chin and he can feel Snow stiffen in surprise -- and when he stumbles, Snow still catches him, hand under his elbow to help him get his balance.

"Hope," Snow says, kind of slow and hoarse, and Hope can't figure out what that tone means. "You...."

There are a lot of things Hope could say, trying to argue, but some of them would just make Snow upset -- _you might not ever see Serah again, we might not make it through this_ \-- and some of them he wouldn't like himself for very much -- _you said I could ask you for anything I wanted_. So all he says is, "Please." Just that. If it's not enough for Snow, then he'll -- he'll -- he doesn't know.

In the shadow of the barricade he can barely read Snow's expression, and there's this long moment where it's almost totally quiet between them. And then Snow lets out his breath in a shaky sigh, and he says, "Okay."

One of his hands comes up to cup Hope's cheek -- his glove's really smooth, and the leather smells good, and he's being so careful. He leans down really slowly, and it's sort of sweet but still a little overwhelming, because Snow's a big guy and Hope probably won't ever be built like that. Snow closes his eyes when he presses his lips to Hope's, and his lips are warm and so soft. Hope arches up into him, pushing into the kiss harder. He's smaller and younger than Snow, yeah, but he's _tough_ , had to be to get this far. He doesn't need to be treated like he might break.

Snow makes a sound in his throat that might be laughter, swallowed too fast for Hope to be sure. He slides an arm around Hope's waist and his lips part, and then his tongue is slipping between Hope's lips and Hope shudders. He opens his mouth and tries meeting Snow's tongue with his own, and Snow makes another sound that doesn't sound like a laugh at all. It's the kind of sound that hums straight down Hope's spine and settles in the pit of his stomach and makes all his nerves feel alive -- it makes him want more than just a kiss, makes him want Snow to touch him much more than this. He moans, quiet and needy, and that makes Snow's breath hitch.

When Snow pulls back, Hope's lips feel tender, scraped by stubble and kiss-swollen. "We should, um, probably be turning in for the night, huh?" Snow says.

Hope takes a deep breath, trying to make himself calm down. "Yeah," he says. They've got a long way to go if they're walking to Oerba, right? "I guess so." Snow hasn't let go of him yet, though, so he says, "Together?"

"Just -- just sleeping, okay?" Snow says. Trying to protect him still, Hope thinks.

But maybe for now he doesn't mind. He leans closer, rests his head on Snow's chest. "Okay."


End file.
